Category: Drama

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Order of the Health Officer has released the REOPENING SAFER AT WORK AND IN THE COMMUNITY FOR CONTROL OF COVID-19.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced that the Music, film and television production can reopen during Stage 3 on Friday, June 12, 2020.  All productions prior to resuming must prepare, implement and post the required Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Reopening Protocol for Music, Film and Television Production.

There are five areas that all productions must address prior to reopening: Workplace policies and practices to protect employee health, Measures to ensure physical distancing, measures to ensure infection control, communication with employees and the public, measures to ensure equitable access to critical service.

Physical Distancing

They suggest any employee that can work from home, should do so. The workplace must provide all personal protective equipment (PPE), all visitors and employees must wear face covering.

All productions and recording sessions are required to have a written protocol before they can start work to ensure six (6) feet or more between people.  With only essential cast and crew on or near the set at any time. If cast and musicians are unable to wear face coverings must be a minimum of 8 feet of social distancing.  Whenever possible, workspaces are to have one directional traffic.  When riding the elevator, the capacity limit is based on the ability to maintain six (6) feet distance. They also suggest easing elevator traffic by opening stairwells for up and down traffic.

All shops shall be by appointment only to prevent lines forming.

Television and film productions are required to give periodic testing to cast and crew, especially those in high-rick scenes requiring close contact without masks.

Infection Control

Ventilation must be increased in all spaces. All contracts, music sheet, scripts and other documents must be distributed digitally or printed and given to everyone. Before and after filming and other sessions, all commonly touched areas must be disinfected at least three times a day. The entire facility must be cleaned daily i.e. sets, production spaces. Minor child actors can be accompanied by up to two adults. Payment portals, props, costumes, set materials, trucks and other vehicles must be disinfected after each use.

All Productions must provide a copy of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health protocol to every person that come on-set or enters the production facility.

The movie extra industry will suffer a major impact with productions being told to avoid large crowd scenes.

Craft services: people will only be able to eat and drink in a designated area. The cast and crew must eat and drink in production set area in staggered schedules.

Food buffets are not allowed as well as no communal food or drink services (no coffee pots). Food must be single serve only. People who bring in their own food cannot share their food.

The date, time and name of the crew currently in session must be recorded to assist in contact tracing when necessary.

Production locations must be completely secure from the public with enough space for everyone stay six (6) to social distance.